Erie County Medical Center

Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) began in 1905 in Buffalo, New York. Today, ECMC has expanded beyond its 65-acre base on Grider Street, into what is today the Erie County Medical Center Healthcare Network.

With growth come challenges. ECMC has been quick to respond with state-of-the-art technology to manage the increasing volume of medical data and requirements for patient privacy. A significant initiative in 2008 was to evaluate bar code data collection systems.

One of the many criteria for ECMC was a wireless, point-to-point scanner that didn't interfere with the existing wireless network infrastructure. The device had to be rugged, comfortable and non-intrusive for nurses. It would need to attach easily to a mobile cart and interface seamlessly with Meditech, their existing Health Information System (HIS).

With the help of VPN Systems, the ECMC technical team evaluated the Medication Administration solution from Motorola, the DS3478 Rugged Cordless Scanner. The evaluation team determined this device would be the best fit and would allow nurses to administer medication efficiently and accurately. They purchased over 200 of DS3478s, successfully deploying them throughout the hospital. Hospital administrators and IT staff report that the scanners have helped them automate a time consuming and mission critical system, and at the same time integrate the data into the Meditech.

Without mobility, many steps in medication administration are time consuming and present many opportunities for error. Armed with a mobile computer and its bar code scanning capability, nurses can scan the patient wristband, the medication, and their own ID card in seconds, ensuring that the right patient receives the right medication, the right dose, by the right route, at the right time.